


Of Merrow Magic and Other Strange Encounters

by 27noir



Series: Mixed Magic [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Thin Veil Series - Jodi McIsaac
Genre: Crossover, Foursome, M/M, Multi, the Merrow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-10
Updated: 2016-01-10
Packaged: 2018-05-12 22:41:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5683678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/27noir/pseuds/27noir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“Adventure!” Sirius had said intently.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Merrow Magic and Other Strange Encounters

**Author's Note:**

> This one is entirely Rei's fault. (Though not at all helped by my overactive imagination.)
> 
> Thanks to E for the edits. <3
> 
> See End Notes for a note about canon.

“I’m telling you Moony! They are right there! At the bottom of the cliff! The _Merrow_ , Moony! Just think of it!”

The truth was Moony had thought of it. And he had, at one point far in the distant past of a few days ago, been just as excited as Sirius was currently. However, several wrong turns, nearly as many dead ends, much mucking about _and_ forgoing dinner, to say nothing of lunch, had eroded Remus’ enthusiasm.

Also, it was well past dusk and the end of October with a storm rolling in.

It was fucking cold.

Remus wrapped his freezing hands around Sirius’s waist and pulled him back from the ledge. They had been drinking a bit of fire whiskey but Remus suspected Sirius was mostly high off adrenaline. And sheer foolhardiness, like usual.

It had been Remus’ idea. They had a few days of holiday from Order business, which had started in earnest only weeks after graduation. That had been over a year ago. Remus wanted to get out of London. Sirius just wanted An Adventure. Remus had suggested Ireland. Sirius insisted it was not exotic enough.

“Adventure, Moony!” Sirius had demanded.

Remus had shown him books with ruins and landmarks and places with historical value to try and sway him. Remus thought these were well enough reason to go immediately. Sirius, however, had countered with the Sedlec Ossuary in Prague. With the catacombs of Paris. With the pyramids. With Mount Everest, even.

(“You want to die freezing atop a giant protrusion of rock?” Remus enquired.

_“Adventure!”_ Sirius had said intently.)

They had gone to Ireland, in the end, but only because Remus by sheer luck remembered a brief weakness of Sirius.

_“The Merrow,”_ Remus had said, not two nights before they were supposed to be out of the noise of the city and free of obligation.

“The what now?” Sirius said, not looking up from a trashy muggle romance book he’d found in the free bin at the junk shop down the street.

Remus dropped a book in his lap. “The Merrow. Or, as one might consider them, _mermaids.”_

Sirius eyes lit up.He got a sort of delirious grin on his face.

“We’re going to fucking Ireland.”

And Remus had been excited to see the Merrow as well. Not quite to the degree Sirius had been excited, but the Merrow were part of a fokelore he adored. His mother had read him story after story of the Tuatha Dé Danann and Irish mythology as a child and he had been fascinated by them. It was a large part of the reason he wanted to go to Ireland. To discover, perhaps, what was truth and what was fiction of the stories he had grown up on.

And in his plight to persuade Sirius that Ireland was the place to go, he had pulled out one of the old story books his mother used to read. The page had fallen open to a story about the conflicts between the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Merrow and Remus had sworn softly, because thank Merlin, that was it.

Look, Remus was absolutely solid in his belief that Sirius loved him and loved him dearly. There was no doubt in Remus’ heart or mind that Sirius was as solid as a rock in their relationship and that they trusted each other.

Remus also knew that Sirius’ strange fascination with merkind knew little bounds, and that given the opportunity Sirius might have really probably snogged the mermaid in the painting in the prefects’ bathroom and gone to live with her in depths of the sea forever and forever. More than once he and James had pulled a very drunk Sirius out of the lake from trying to do just that. (Remus had vowed to never let Sirius know about gillyweed, when he discovered it in 6th year.)

He didn’t understand this fascination, but he knew a winning card when it was handed to him.

So they had gone to fucking Ireland with as much research as Remus could gather in so little a time, and set out with determination to find the Merrow.

It had led them, after 3 days, to a windy cliff along the sea and the end of Remus’ determination. He was freezing, he was starving, and his butt hurt like the dickens from riding the damn motorbike all fucking day.

Sirius was still babbling drunkenly about the Merrow, however.

“Where did you put it, Moony?” he was saying and Remus blinked at him.

“Put what?”

“The piece of paper with the words on it!” Sirius said with great eloquence and intensity.

It was a credit to their friendship that Remus actually know precisely what Sirius was talking about.

“Sirius, you can’t be thinking about going down there now. If you haven’t noticed, it’s dark. And I’m starving. There was a nice little inn a while back. We can come back in the morning.”

“Please do stop being sensible, Remus. Where’s your sense of adventure! And I know you have one. Couldn’t have been a Marauder without it.” Sirius was peering over the cliff again.

“If I do remember correctly, me being sensible saved the Marauders from many, many detentions. And quite probably, you breaking your neck.”

“I won’t break my neck. I promise. Now can we go down?”

Merlin, he was so eager, thought Remus. He sighed. It might be another dead end, he thought. The words might not work, just like they hadn’t at all the other dead ends they had found the last couple days.

He reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out the little strip of parchment. Sirius whooped before pulling Remus to him and snogging him quite thoroughly.

“If this doesn’t work, we are going to that inn and getting dinner,” Remus said. “Promise me that.”

“It’s going to work, Moony. I know it.”

Remus sighed, but read the words nonetheless.

“ _I mean no harm to the sea, or to those who dwell therein. I seek only to find, and not to take. If my words prove false, may I be buried forthwith beneath the waves, never to taste the air again_.”

For a moment nothing happened.

_Oh good, we can get dinner,_ Remus thought. But then he saw it, just as Sirius did too.

There was a rope which they had missed in the dark. Or maybe only now made apparent to them, Remus wasn’t sure.

Sirius grinned at him.

_So much for dinner,_ Remus sighed to himself and followed Sirius down the rope.

 

\--

 

There was someone on the beach. Two someones, actually.

Irial frowned. He had peaked outside the hut on the edge of the water only to check the incoming storm. He had not expected to see two shapes alighting from the rocks to the pebbled beach in the gathering dark.

Probably best that he had though. The Merrow liked him well enough that they trusted him to watch the beach that lead to their waters in return for food and lodgings from time to time. But he was trying their good will a little currently. And to neglect his duty even in the midst of the dark and cold would not be in his favor. They didn’t like to be disturbed often.

“I’ll be right back,” he hollered down the trap door.

He didn’t expect Felix to respond, but he heard him send an inquisitive hum back up at him. He was probably very entrenched in his book.

“There are people on the beach.”

There was a pause, then a shuffling noise. His head poked up through the floor. “In this weather? Are they mad?”

“That’s rather what I thought,” Irial said.

Felix started to haul himself up.

“It’s alright, I’ll deal with it… Oh good lord, he fell in!” Irial had meant to say more, but Irial saw through the open door that one of the figures on the beach had just stumbled into the water with a shout. Irial hurried out the door and through the water, sure Felix was not far behind.

The other figure was trying to haul his soggy friend from the water in what looked like an attempt not to get wet himself. Irial was quite sure he was failing in both regards.

Much to Irial’s amazement, the man in the water seemed to have suddenly disappeared and been replaced with a large shaggy black dog. It trotted easily out of the water where just before the man had struggled and failed. The man on the beach backed away.

“Don’t you DARE, Sirius,” he yelled and then gave a cry of dismay when the dog shook himself, dispelling water everywhere.

“Are you two alright?” Irial called, coming up to them. His words caught them off guard and both the dog and the young man froze.

“We’re… fine,” the man stumbled, tugging the dog back. “We were just… uh.”

He stopped and stared as Felix caught up to them.

“Your friend,” Felix said. “He took quite the fall into the water. Are you quite sure you’re alright? That water is not warm at the best of times.”

The dog barked, as if to agree.

“It’s alright,” Felix said. “You can change back.”

Irial watched the young man and the dog at his side exchange a look.

There was a rumble of thunder off in the distance. The storm was approaching in earnest now.

“Come on,” Irial said. “Storm’s coming in quick and we don’t want to be caught out here much longer. You can wait it out indoors.”

The man and the dog exchanged a look again. The dog gave another bark, before turning back into a handsome young man with dark hair, and dripping clothes.

“That’d be brilliant, mate,” he said with a winning grin.

 

\--

 

They followed the two exceedingly pretty men (Remus with some hesitancy, Sirius noticed) across the charmed water and into a small hut.Sirius was already shivering when they stepped through the door, and he had to admit, he was fairly disappointed at the sight that greeted them. It was pretty dismal. Downright decrepit, to be honest.

“You live _here_?” Sirius was never one for tact, but even Remus was visibly worried. Maybe they had just followed two serial killers and were about to never be seen again.Sirius reached for his wand.

But the taller of the two men just laughed, and pulled open a trap door in the floor. He grinned at them.

Moony, who was closer, peered down the hole. He eyes went wide. Sirius hurried to look down as well. He let out a low whistle. When he looked up, the one with the dark curls was smiling at them. Then his companion hopped down through the door, and waved Remus down.

Remus gave Sirius and uneasy look. “Really,” he said. “Our stuff’s just at the top of the cliff and there was inn not far back. We shouldn’t trouble you.”

The one with the curls—who also happened to have the most amazing eyes, Sirius noticed—shook his head. He opened his mouth to say something, but right on cue, there was a round of thunder, noticeably louder and closer than before.

And then it began to rain.

Rain was a inaccurate word. It _poured._ Sirius could almost feel it pounding on the roof above them. He gave Remus a shrug, and Remus sighed.

“It’s no bother, honest,” said the one with the curls. He smiled again, and Sirius, ridiculously, felt his heart beat faster.

“Go on, Moony,” he said. “Our stuff will be useless now anyway.”

Remus nodded, and then went down the trap door. Sirius followed, nearly falling off the ladder he was shaking so with cold. But the sight was enough to distract him from that for a moment.

It was utterly amazing. It had to be magic, of course, but that didn’t mean it was any less astounding.

The room was large, a bed off to one side and a table and chairs to the other. There was a large wood stove as well, fire crackling. Everything looked surprisingly comfortable, considering it should have been rocks and water. This was not what currently had both Sirius and Remus open mouthed and staring.

The majority of the walls were completely transparent, looking straight out into the ocean.

“Moony,” he said, walking up to the wall, and feeling it solid as could be. “Can you believe this?”

Remus was just as mesmerized, and stared out in the depths in front of them. Then he swore softly.

Sirius had seen it too. Or her, rather.

“Moony. Moony, was that just… Oh Merlin, Moony, WE FOUND THE MERROW.”

He felt surprisingly calm, all things considered. He pressed his nose against the wall, unaware that he was dripping sea water everywhere from his clothes. The Merrow swam right up to him, putting her hands where his were. She grinned at him, a bit fiendish really, then backflipped through the water, flashing her tail and was gone.

Sirius stared. He’d seen the merpeople in the lake from a distance of course. But one of the _Merrow_ had just grinned and done a backflip in front of him. This might just be the best day of his life.

He turned to find Remus grinning at him. Sirius grinned back. Then, all other things forgotten, he pulled Remus to him and kissed him soundly. Remus made a noise against his mouth, which sounded a lot like he’d forgiven Sirius for today’s misadventure.

“You are the best, most wonderful, glorious boyfriend in existence.” Sirius told him earnestly.

There was a noise nearby and it brought the pair of them back to reality. The two who had found them on the beach were watching them with laughter in their eyes.

“Oh,” Sirius said, “Um.”

Very suddenly, his teeth started chattering and he remembered how fucking cold he was.

“We should get you out of those clothes,” the fair-haired one said, making no comment on the show Remus and Sirius had just displayed. “Get both of you warmed up.” He nodded at his friend then disappeared into an adjacent room.

“I’m Irial,” the one with the dark curls said with a smile. He was holding towels, Sirius noticed.

“Shit, I’m getting water all over your floor, sorry,” Sirius said, also noticing the huge puddle that followed him from the ladder.

“Quite alright,” Irial said. He tossed Sirius a towel. “You really should get out of your wet things, though. You’ll warm up faster.”

Sirius nodded, still mesmerized by Irial’s eyes, and attempted to take off his things. This proved to require assistance from Remus, but they managed it just as Irial’s friend came back into the room, holding several blankets. He unfolded one and handed it to Sirius, now wearing only his damp and uncomfortable pants. He took it with thanks, wrapping it around himself. He paused for a moment, then shucked off his underwear and added it to the pile of wet clothing.

“I’m Sirius, by the way.” He said, pulling the blanket tighter around him.

“Hmm?” Irial’s friend said. “Serious about what?”

Remus promptly began to laugh. Sirius sighed.

“His name is Sirius Black,” Remus said, still laughing. “And I’m Remus Lupin.”

“Oh!” He looked ever so slightly embarrassed. “I’m Felix.” He held out his hand and shook Remus’ hand. They grinned at each other.

“Come on,” Felix said, and waved them away from the magnificent sight through the invisible wall and to the even more magnificent roaring fire. Sirius settled himself on the floor in front of it, shaking still.

“It’s alright, I’ll hang them up,” Irial said to Remus, who was poking at Sirius’ wet clothes. “I’ll take your coat too, if you want.”

Remus handed him his coat and came and sat in front of the fire with Sirius, while Irial hung their things on the adjacent chairs. Sirius offered him one of the many cushions that surrounded him, and then considered sharing his blanket. Remus was shivering too.

But Felix came over with a blanket and tossed it to Remus. Then he crouched in front of the two of them. “Will you bare with me for a moment? I want to make sure you guys are okay.”

He held out his hand in front of Sirius, and Sirius wasn’t quite sure what he was supposed to do. But he nodded. Felix smiled before reaching a hand strategically to Sirius’ face and another to his chest. The warmth of his hands was a shock, and Sirius almost pulled back. But there was something else, too. Magic, he thought, though no magic he’d ever felt before. It felt strange, and old. But good. And he felt a little better from it.

“You’ll live,” Felix proclaimed. “We’ll just be sure to keep you warm.”

He turned to Remus. “You next.” Remus looked a little apprehensive, but nodded. Felix placed his hands in the same way on Remus and held them there for a moment. “And you,” Felix said with a laugh, “have nothing that some food won’t fix.”

“You’re a healer,” Remus said, sounding puzzled. “And you can do wandless magic.”

“Yes,” Felix said. “Though I suspect it’s a different brand of magic than your own. You two seem to be pretty powerful magic users in your own right.”

They regarded each other for a moment.

“Who exactly are you two?” Remus asked.

Irial appeared again, carrying a tray of steaming mugs and he set it down before standing by Felix, putting a hand on Felix’s shoulder. He smiled tentatively.

“You came to see the Merrow, did you not?”

They nodded.

“Then do you know what a gancanagh is?”

Sirius looked at Remus, having no idea what Irial had just said. Remus was frowning, and bit his bottom lip, like he often did when he was thinking hard. Then his eyes went very wide.

“I didn’t think they existed. I mean, even in the stories the gancanagh were said to have disappeared.”

Irial smiled sadly. “They have. Except for me.”

Felix reached up and touched Irial’s hand.

“I almost can’t believe it,” Remus said. “I always wondered if your kind were real. My mum used to read me stories,” he explained. “I grew up with tales of the Merrow, the pixies… of all the Unseen. And of course the Tuatha Dé Danann. It’s why I wanted to come to Ireland so bad.” He turned and gave Sirius a half smile. “I hoped maybe I’d find some of the magic from my childhood.”

Irial laughed. “Oh, you will like Felix then,” he said, squeezing Felix’s shoulder before turning back to the tray he had brought in.

Felix was biting his lips, as if to keep from smiling. “I haven’t properly introduced myself, I’m afraid,” he said. “My real name is Toirdhealbhach MacDail re Deachai of the Tuatha Dé Danann.”

He looked a bit nervous at this admission. Sirius, who was beginning to feel rather left out of this conversation, looked wildly from him to Remus who stared wide-eyed at Felix.

“Honest?” Remus whispered. He reached out and grabbed Sirius’ hand. “Am I going crazy?”

“Honest,” Irial said, handing him one of the steaming mugs. “I more or less had the same reaction when we met. Though that was a long time ago.”

“There’s not many who know my name any more,” Felix said. “I’m kind of surprised you do.”

“Know it?” Remus said, hands clenching around his mug. “I was obsessed with the stories of the Tuatha Dé Danann as a child. I had all your names memorized for years.”

“Oh dear,” Felix said. “Then I do hope I’m not a disappointment.” He took a mug from Irial and sat down beside Remus.

Irial came and handed Sirius a mug as well, and Sirus blew on the contents while he watched Remus begin to glow.

“I don’t get it,” he said to Irial who sat down on the other side of him. “Who are you guys?”

“I’m no one particularly special,” Irial said. “But I am the last of my kind, so far as I know. I believe I am something akin to what you might call an incubus?”

Sirius blinked at him.

“Don’t worry,” Irial said. “My powers only work on women. And even then, I wouldn’t subject you to them. They are not kind.”

That was not something Sirius worried about, really, finding Irial startlingly beautiful in proper light and up close.

“And Felix?” he asked.

“Felix? Well, Felix is something of a god in Ireland.”

Sirius peered at him, currently occupied in earnest conversation with Remus.

“I can believe it,” Sirius said.

Irial laughed.

Sirius took a sip of his drink, which was strange, but warmed him immensely. He considered it for a moment, listening to Remus and Felix talk. When he looked up, he found Irial watching them with extreme fondness.

“Can I ask…” Sirius said. “Are you and Felix….?”

Irial laughed. “We’re friends, mostly. We don’t see each other very often, and we’ve never tried to keep a romantic relationship. That’s not to say that we don’t have some fun when we do see each other.” Irial grinned at him. Sirius grinned back.

“You love him, don’t you?” Irial asked, with a nod at Remus.

“Yes,” Sirius said. “Very much.”

“I had a feeling you did,” Irial said. He looked at Sirius with such fondness, that Sirius wanted to reach then and there and kiss him. He felt a little guilty about that, and Irial looked a little flustered and glanced away, like he knew what Sirius was thinking.

He wondered if Remus would mind. Then he wondered, as he watched Remus talk with Felix in some sort of rapture, if he would mind if Remus kissed someone else. He thought about Remus kissing Felix. Then he promptly stopped thinking about Remus kissing Felix, swallowed hard, and adjusted the blanket around him.

Right then.

 

\--

 

Felix was so taken with Remus and his enthusiasm that he promptly forgot that he was going to feed the poor starving creature. But Remus talked with such delight about the stories of his people that Felix just as delightedly filled him in on some of the more juicy parts of the stories that had been left out, or corrected him where the lore had gotten things wrong. He didn’t get to talk about his kind often, especially now, and it was refreshing to talk about happier times.

If he hadn’t known Remus was taken he might have tried to make a move on him. But Sirius was sitting right beside Remus still, and it was quite obvious they loved each other very much.

Remus stopped talking suddenly, and blushed, like he knew exactly what Felix was thinking. And Felix wondered if his advances would not be wholly unwelcome.

He was wondering where _that_ thought had come from when Remus’ stomach growled, quite loudly.

Everyone stopped talking.

“Ah,” Remus said, embarrassed. “Do you think I might trouble you for something to eat? We haven’t had anything since this morning.”

“And Remus has the appetite of a wild thing,” Sirius chimed in.

“Of course! I meant to bring something out earlier and got uh, a little distracted,” Felix admitted. “I’ll go see what we have.”

He felt a little reluctant to get up and go into the kitchen in the next room, but he did. He was rummaging through the cupboards when Irial came and leaned against the counter. They smiled at each other.

“They’re quite something, aren’t they?” Irial said.

“Indeed,” Felix agreed with a grin.

There was silence for a moment. Then they both started talking at the same time and laughed. Felix conceded and let Irial go first.

“I can’t believe I’m about to say this,” he said, going a little red. “And I hope you’re thinking what I’m thinking…”

“Oh I really hope it’s what I’m thinking,” Felix said.

Irial bit his lip as they shared a look. They were very much thinking the same thing, Felix decided, wondering again how he knew that with such certainty.

“But do think they’d go for it?” Irial asked. “It could make things very awkward the rest of the night.”

Felix considered this. “Let’s get some food in them first. And maybe kind of feel things out a bit. We can always straight up ask.”

Irial nodded. Then he laughed. “Are we seriously thinking about this?”

“I think we are,” Felix said, and they stared at each other for a moment.

“Right. Food first,” Irial said, then made a noise of exclamation. The countertop had suddenly filled with food.

“There are definite perks with being friends with the Merrow,” Felix said, grabbing a plate and throwing a piece of fruit into his mouth. “They must not hate me quite so much.”

Irial laughed and followed him back into the other room, food in hand.

It turns out the two were ravenous, and wolfed down most of the food in no time. They did not seem surprised when the plates refilled themselves. Though Remus did ask, “Are you doing that?”

Felix shook his head. “Courtesy of the Merrow. Mostly I’m good at healing things.”

Remus nodded. “Your magic feels different,” he said. “From ours, I mean.”

Felix considered this. “I don’t know much about your magic, but I’d have to agree.”

Remus licked his fingers, and Felix felt his heart speed up just a little. Then Remus drew from his pocket a thin wooden object from his pocket. A wand, Felix realized.

Remus seemed to consider something, then nodded.

“Expecto Patronum” he said very clearly.

Something silver shot out of his wand and formed itself in to a large, sleek wolf. It prowled around the room once, and then disappeared into silver mist once more.

“Good one, Moony,” Sirius said around a mouthful of food.

“They don’t stick around long if they don’t sense any danger,” Remus said by way of apology.

“Fascinating,” Felix said. He knew there was other magic in the world, had seen a fair bit of it, but mostly he had stayed out of it. “Do you know any healing magic?”

“Oh Moony’s really good at that,” Sirius said with a grin. “Defense against the dark arts and healing magic are his specialties.”

Remus looked embarrassed, but Sirius nudged his shoulder and he smiled. Felix caught Irial’s eye and was quite sure Irial understood what he was thinking just then because he grinned back at him.

He and Remus talked for some time about magic. Every now and then he would catch Irial’s eye and they would share a look. Remus’ magic was truly fascinating, but the desire to lean in and kiss him soundly was not going away and it very distracting. Irial seemed to be having the same problem.

On one such glance, while Felix had gotten up to get more to drink, Sirius caught them, and stopped talking to watch them. Remus too, stopped and looked at them.

“Do you have something you want to ask us?” Sirius said, rather calmly.

Irial looked alarmed that they had been found out. Felix, too, felt some color coming to his face.

“Well,” he said very slowly, having absolutely no idea how to ask what he wanted to ask.

“It’s just…” Irial started, and stopped.

“We realize…” Felix said and then too, stopped.

“Um,” Irial managed.

In the silence that followed, Felix wondered how anyone managed to proposition anyone ever.

Sirius, however, saved them.

“Moony, I do believe they want to have sex with us.”

He said it without a hint of concern. Indeed, he seemed so unbothered by the idea that he reached and grabbed some more food to eat.

Remus had a peculiar expression on his face, though Felix did not feel it was a bad one.

“Is that what you were trying to ask?” He said with curiosity.

Mutely, Irial nodded. Felix managed a soft, “Yes.”

Remus and Sirius looked at each other for a long moment, Remus reaching out and sliding his fingers through Sirius’. Then Sirius laughed and Remus grinned and they turned back to Felix and Irial, eyes alight.

“That’s a yes from us,” Sirius said, gazing at Irial. “But only because you were so cute about trying to ask.” He grinned a bit wickedly and Felix knew that grin had lead to many adventures for the two of them in their youth.

Felix laughed and smiled at Remus, who smiled back.

There was, then, a moment of unequivocal quiet as everyone in the room realized what they had just agreed to, and more importantly, that no one knew where to start on such a thing as that.

“We’ll just take it as it comes,” Felix said with more assurance than he felt. But Sirius snorted and Remus and Irial were holding back laughter and the unease was broken from his unintended pun. Felix laughed too, and settled back down beside Remus with a smile.

 

\--

 

“God, you’re still freezing,” Felix said with a laugh at Remus’ shoulder. Their hands had brushed, skin to skin, while Felix had settling down beside him. Felix set aside his drink and after a moment’s hesitation, entwined his fingers through Remus’ cold fingers, rubbing them with both hands for a moment. But he paused and looked at Remus with considering for a moment. Remus watched him bite his lip.

“Come here,” Felix said with a nod of his head. He slid back and motioned for Remus to settle with his back to Felix’s chest. Remus blinked, then looked over at Sirius and Irial. Sirius had let the blanket fall to his waist and was already back to talking with Irial in earnest, bright patches of enthusiasm sitting at the top of his cheeks. A smile found its way to Remus’ face.

Remus looked back at Felix, who was also watching Sirius and Irial with a fond smile. They caught each other’s eye and grinned. Felix held out his hand to him and Remus took it, settling willingly into Felix’s embrace.

Taking him a little bit by surprise, Felix wrapped himself securely around Remus, hugging him close so that Remus could feel the heat from Felix’s body on all sides.

From where he had his nose nestled into Remus’ neck, Felix asked, quite softly, “Is this okay?”

Remus pressed back into Felix’s warmth. “Very much so,” he said with a contented sigh. He gave a laugh. “This feels like madness, but it’s all very much okay.”

Felix laughed into his neck, his breath and lips brushing the skin there in an almost kiss. He nuzzled his nose there for a moment, before slowly rubbing his hands over Remus’ body.

Remus hummed and relaxed, softening at Felix’s touch, feeling the last of the cold ebb from his skin. He closed his eyes for a moment, and might have drifted off right there if it were not for the very particular noise Sirius made from near by.

He opened his eyes to see Irial kissing Sirius quite intently on the mouth. Sirius was lax under Irial’s touch, one hand grasping the front of Irial’s shirt.

_How odd,_ thought Remus, without the least bit of jealousy. There was something actually quite delightful about seeing Sirius kissed like that by someone else. He never got to see Sirius at this angle. Never got to see the small wanting movements he made. The way his eyes fluttered with pleasure. Not like this.

And maybe it was because he knew that Irial, despite having only been acquainted all of a couple hours, cared quite deeply for both of them. Remus wasn’t sure how he knew this, but he was quite sure in his thought of it. Felix too. It was like he could feel the intensity of their feelings for the two reckless strangers they’d pulled in from the beach barely hours ago.

“Irial,” Remus said, detaching himself from Felix a little. “Use your teeth. He likes it a little rough.”

“Moony, you traitor. I love you,” Sirius managed before trying to bite back a moan. “Oh Merlin, Irial, do that again.”

Remus leaned back into Felix’s chest, feeling pleasantly warm at last. Felix slid his arms around him again, continuing the slow strokes he had been doing with his hand just prior. This time he was quite sure he felt Felix press his mouth to his neck.

He tipped his head back, eye half lidded, watching Irial kiss Sirius, then bite his lower lip. Remus chuckled, knowing Sirius would wilt at that, and he did. But he pulled Irial down with him, and they were suddenly quite horizontal, the blanket that had been wrapped around Sirius forgotten.

“Still doing okay?” Felix whispered softly in Remus’ ear. His hands were toying at the hem of Remus’ threadbare sweater, thumbs quivering to reach skin. 

With a nod and a hum Remus pressed back further.Felix made a noise in return as Remus put pressure on his growing erection. Merlin, they were both hard already, Remus thought, twining his fingers in Felix’s and guiding them under clothes at last. This really was madness, he thought.

Felix seemed to have been waiting for this because he let out a long breath, hot hands moving slowly over the skin of Remus’ stomach. He kissed Remus’ neck again, still moving with little sign of haste or impatience.

Perhaps if his erection not been pressing against his jeans, and perhaps if Remus was not able to see Sirius threading his fingers through Irial’s curls and tightening there out of pleasure as Irial nipped lower down Sirius stomach, Remus might have been content to fall asleep as he was. Felix would not have minded. He wasn’t sure how he knew, but he did.

He was not, however, given the circumstances, content to sleep, and fought against it.

Guiding Felix’s hands down to the fly of his pants, Remus said, “Would you…?” He turned his head to look back at the god, a sudden wave of uncertainty washing over him. But Felix kissed his temple with a smile, nuzzling him briefly with the tip of his nose and it was gone.

“I wondered if you’d ask. I’m more than happy to oblige.”

Remus groaned and bit the inside of his lip as Felix’s hand wrapped around his cock and began to stroke him. His other hand continued to slide across the skin under Remus’ sweater, though with much more intent than it had previously. Remus arched and groaned again, unable to keep himself quiet. He wasn’t sure he wanted to.

“Merlin,” he said softly. “You’re good at this.”

Felix laughed softly. “Had a lot of time to get good.”

Remus heard Sirius swear and glanced over. Irial was straddled over him, kissing him on the neck and with his hands on Sirius hips. Sirius tugged at Irial’s shirt, arching a little in response to Irial’s touch. Sirius swore again and gasped, and Remus grinned, knowing that Irial had figured out the bit about using his teeth.

 

\--

 

Sometimes, Irial took for granted that he could touch men like this with little to no ill effects. He’d done so much damage in the past with his women lovers. When he realized he could find pleasure and God, even just physical contact of any kind, in men (a fact he rather had to thank Felix for) he told himself he was never going to get complacent about it.

Time wears things like that down, though. Most times now, Irial barely thought about it.

Now was not one of those times. Right now, Irial was incredibly aware of how fucking thankful he was that he could touch Sirius.

This was partly because Sirius was so responsive. God, the noises he made when Irial kissed him or touched him just so. It made him only want to touch Sirius more.

And partly because Sirius was a fantastic kisser.

Sirius dragged him up again to kiss him, hot and open-mouthed, and Irial was sure he was making noises of his own.

Sirius was tugging at his shirt, and Irial had to agree, it was time to take it off. He stopped, a little unwillingly and sat up, dragging his shirt over his head. In his haste though, he got a little stuck.

He heard Sirius laugh and then felt hands help him out of his entrapment. He found Sirius grinning at him, and they kissed again and Irial wondered how long this was going to last if Sirius kept doing that thing with his tongue.

There were hands working away at his belt now, too, and he got the feeling Sirius didn’t care how long he lasted as long as he could touch him. Irial groaned and thought, _God, yes, please._

His pants were undone, half off his hips and Sirius’ hand wrapped around him. His fingers were surprisingly rough but they felt amazing. Sirius’ thumb swiped the tip of his cock and Irial tried not to bite the skin of Sirius’ shoulder too hard in response. He was not sure he succeeded because Sirius swore through his teeth. Except he made the same motion with his thumb and moaned when Irial’s teeth hit his skin again.

“Hold up,” Sirius managed after a moment, sounding breathless, and took his hand away. Irial made a noise. “Can you just….” Sirius said, pulling down on Irial’s hips.

_Oh,_ thought Irial. _Oh, yes._

Sirius grinned, as if Irial had said that out loud.

Irial shifted, and Sirius took him in hand again, only this time he had both their cocks in his palm, stroking them together.

He willed himself to last longer.But really, at this rate….

He was starting to feel himself get close, kissing Sirius messily, when someone said nearby, “Wait!”

_Remus,_ Irial remembered. And Felix, too. They were still here. Right.

“Sirius, Irial, wait.” Remus said again, with some urgency.

They all turned to look at him. Even Felix, who had his hands down the front of Remus’ pants. 

“Um,” Remus said, going rather red. “Sorry. It’s just… I’d… I’d like to fuck my boyfriend. If that’s okay. But,” he continued, turning to look at Felix, face-to-face. “I’d also really like you to fuck me while I do.”

A quiet settled after this announcement, in which Remus went quite a bit more red. It was only broken when Irial, who found there was nothing else he could say given the circumstances, said, “Oh fuck, _yes_.”

 

\--

 

“You’re brilliant, Moony,” Sirius said and he laughed. “I’m in.” He watched as Remus looked greatly relieved. And then, as Felix caught Remus gently by the chin and kissed him sweetly.

“Me too,” Felix said, smiling.

Remus blushed, but pulled Felix into another kiss.

Irial helped Sirius back up to sitting, catching him for another kiss. When they pulled apart, Remus was at his back. He wrapped his arms around Sirius, hugging him tightly for a moment.

“Is this enough of an adventure for you?” Remus said softly in his hair.

Sirius laughed and laughed, and leaned back, turning to pull Remus into an awkward kiss.

“Let’s do this,” he said. Then he paused. “How exactly are we going to do this?”

Irial knelt in front of him, having finally rid himself of his pants fully, cupped his face in his hands and kissed him. “Like this,” he said. “So I can watch your pretty face. If that works,” he added over Sirius’ shoulder to Remus.

“Absolutely,” Remus said. Then he frowned. “Do you guys have, um…”

“Irial, catch.”

Sirius heard Felix call from the other side of the room, and then Irial caught something in his hands. He grinned at Remus, holding up the container in his hand.

“Oh good,” Remus said with a laugh of relief. He nuzzled Sirius’ shoulder a moment, arms still wrapped around his waist, then kissed his neck before letting go.

Sirius draped himself over Irial’s shoulders and turned to watch Felix tug off Remus’ sweater and shirt. Some of Remus’ scars got caught in the light, and Irial must have noticed them because Sirius could feel a wave of apprehension from him. Sirius pressed his nose under Irial’s chin for a moment before saying quietly, “He’s beautiful, isn’t he?”

“Yes,” Irial breathed, and Sirius knew he meant it.

A moment later, he felt Remus settle in behind him. He stroked a hand up Sirius’ thigh and Sirius felt Remus’ cock brush along the cleft of his butt. Sirius shivered, suddenly filled with want.

“Don’t wait,” he said a little breathless. “Please.”

Remus didn’t, taking the lube from Irial and pressing a finger into him with a kiss between his shoulder blades. Sirius exhaled shakily, letting his weight fall on Irial, who held him. He groaned, letting Remus work him open and Irial stroke him frustratingly and fantastically slow.

“Please,” he said at last, a gasp from his lips. “Remus, _please_.”

“Yes,” he heard Irial say from where he had his head tucked in Irial’s neck. He sounded almost as wrecked as Sirius. “Remus,” Irial said.

Sirius pushed himself up to see Irial’s face and pulled him into a messy kiss. But he groaned and had to pull away as he felt Remus pushed the tip of his cock into him. He clutched at Irial’s neck. “Remus,” he said. “God help me, if you don’t start fucking me right now…”

Remus chuckled behind him, but it cut off in a hasty breath as pushed himself fully into Sirius.

They swore in unison. And then laughed, Irial joining is as well. Sirius pulled Irial into another kiss as Remus started a slow rhythm and willed himself to remember to tell Remus later that Ireland had been the _best_ idea.

 

\--

 

Felix watched the others rather distractedly for a moment, before remembering he was the only one still with clothes on. So he slid out of his shirt and jeans, and was ridding himself of his briefs when the others laughed. Felix didn’t even know what they were laughing about, but found himself laughing too. He wondered about that for just a moment, then came over and found his place behind Remus.

Remus’ body was covered in scars. Felix knew why, but it didn’t make his heart hurt any less. Without thinking, he reached out and touched one of the larger ones along Remus’ shoulder, then kissed it.

Remus took a soft sharp breath and turned to look at him. Felix leaned down, hoping to kiss away the worry in Remus’ eyes. Remus kissed him back, reaching a hand back to Felix’s cheek and holding him close for a moment.

“Are you ready?” Felix asked. Remus nodded and smiled, and slowed his thrusts in to Sirius.

Sirius moaned. “Remus,” he said desperately from where he was draped over Irial’s shoulders as Remus stilled. Felix leaned over and kissed Sirius’ shoulder.

“Hang tight for just a minute,” he said softly.

Irial gave a snort of laughter at him, and Sirius laughed a little too, but clutched his fingers tighter into Irial’s hair.

Remus was planting a kiss at the base of Sirius’ neck as Felix reached for the lube. He mimicked Remus’ action, kissing Remus softly on the shoulder.

“Okay?” he asked.

Remus hummed a yes. Then made the most amazing noise as Felix pressed a finger into him. Felix stroked him in and out a couple times and then Remus was moving again, pushing into Sirius and fucking himself on Felix’s finger.

“Another,” Remus said not long after, and Felix obliged, pulling out and then pressing two fingers into Remus. Remus leaned forward and bit Sirius on the shoulder as he did, and Sirius gave out the most desperate moan. Felix looked across to Irial to find him with his eyes half closed and face full with pleasure. Irial caught his eye and smiled, before biting his lip and closing his eyes, looking much like he did when Felix fucked him.

Remus was making some desperate noises now, and managed a whispered, “Felix.”

Felix knew what he meant. God, it was almost as if he could feel it too, how nearly overwhelming the sensation was for Remus, to be deep inside of Sirius and with Felix’s fingers working him open. None of them were going to last much longer, Felix realized, as he lined himself up and pushed into Remus slowly. The sensation flooded over him and he had to take a moment before he could move again. But then he was thrusting into Remus, and soon they were thrusting in tandem, the four of them gasping and holding on tight to each other.

 

\--

 

Sirius came first, with a gasp and fingers tightening in Irial’s curls. Irial followed not moments later, by his own hand, the other wrapped securely around Sirius waist. They held each other up, breathing heavily into each other’s shoulders, while Felix and Remus thrust desperately until they came, one after another, Felix then Remus.

They stayed as they were, catching their breath, falling back to themselves. Then they disentangled with soft touches of hands and lips.

Felix fetched the blankets from the bed and laid them down in front of the fire. They all piled into them, too spent to clean up, one sleepy, happy mess of limbs. They curled into one another and fell asleep.

 

 

\--

 

Remus woke sometime in the morning, warm and secure. He was curled up against Felix’s chest, Sirius’ arm thrown over his waist. When he lifted his head, he saw that Irial was curled up tightly behind Sirius.

_Right_ , Remus thought, remembering the previous night’s escapades. Then he curled back under the blankets, not regretting a thing.

When he woke again, Felix was awake and tracing his fingers absentmindedly over Remus’ arm.

“Sorry. Did I wake you?” Felix asked when Remus stirred. Remus shook his head. Felix stroked some stray hair out of Remus’ eyes with a smile and leaned in to kiss him tenderly.

When he pulled away, there was a hint of sadness in his eyes, thumb tracing over the scars on Remus’ face.

Remus knew he knew. Knew he had known probably since the very start.

“You’re a werewolf,” Felix said. It was not much of a question. But when Remus nodded, Felix looked so very sad.

“It’s okay,” Remus assured him, touching his face. “I’m okay. I’ve got good people in my life. I’ve got Sirius, and our friends. I’m okay.”

“I’m glad,” Felix said. He pressed his forehead to Remus’. “I’m very glad of that. I’m not sure I could let you go if I knew you weren’t happy.”

The others woke shortly after, with sleepy smiles. They ate breakfast and cleaned up and dressed. Irial went and checked, but the storm had cleared in the night.

“We should go,” Remus said softly to Sirius, at last. They had to get home yet, and the bike would probably take a little time to get running, having sat out all night. Sirius smiled a half smile and nodded.

Felix and Irial didn’t say it, but Remus knew they were sad to see them go. Remus didn’t want to leave either, but they were expected back in London the next day, and Remus thought they were going to need some time to make sense of the trip a bit before being thrown back into the chaos of the Order and the war.

Felix kissed him soundly goodbye. Irial pulled Sirius to him and did the same. Then Irial grabbed Remus and kissed him too. Remus laughed pulling Irial close for a moment. When he turned back to Sirius, Felix had a hand at Sirius’ neck and a serious look his eyes.

“You’ll take care of him, won’t you?” Felix said to Sirius.

Sirius nodded. “Yes. Yes, of course I will.”

Felix smiled and kissed him on the forehead.

And then they were up the ladder and heading back out to the beach.

Some of the Merrow had come to see them off, too, it seemed.

“Did you have fun last night boys?” One of them called from the water. The was a chorus of laughter from the others.

Felix, who was wading through the water, grinned at them. “You wouldn’t have anything to do with that, now would you?”

The Merrow laughed again. Remus saw Felix frown.

“What did you do, ladies?”

“Nothing you didn’t want to do anyway,” one called with a laugh.

Another, who was closest to Felix pulled herself up on a rock. “Oh don’t fret, Toirdhealbhach. It was all you. We just…” She cocked her head to the side for a moment. “Amplified things a little.” She grinned at him. “Made you a little bit more in tune with each other.”

Felix sighed, but smiled. “Well I won’t hold that one against you.”

The Merrow stuck out her tongue and flipped back into the water.

Sirius was staring out at the water wide-eyed. Remus had to go back for him when he realized they’d gone on with out them.

He grinned when Remus slipped his hand into Sirius’s own, eyes alight. Remus grinned back.

“Come on,” he whispered. “The old girl is waiting for you.”

Sirius nodded, and tore his gaze from the array of heads poking out of the water.

At the bottom of the cliff, they all paused.

“Do you think we’ll ever see each other again?” Remus asked.

Felix and Irial looked sad. But Felix shrugged and said with a smile, “Who knows. We might just.”

They hugged each other tightly one last time, and then Remus and Sirius took the rope back up the cliff, the Merrow waving from the water.

The bike was in rough shape, despite the protection spells they’d left on her. They hadn’t been expecting to leave her in a storm.

Sirius got her going though, and most of their stuff was intact. They climbed on the bike, Remus sliding in behind Sirius, arms tight around his waist.

“Sirius?” he said.

“Yeah?”

“Good trip.”

“Yeah,” Sirius said. “Good trip.”

Remus pulled Sirius tight for a moment, and then they laughed.

“Let’s go home,” Sirius said.

And they did.

 

**Author's Note:**

> A note about canon:
> 
> I believe I have, to the best of my ability, stayed true to the Harry Potter canon, in so far as times and dates. 
> 
> The Thin Veil, on the other hand, I royally mucked up. 
> 
> In this one, Deardra would still be pacing the shores of the Merrow coast which kind of makes this story null and void. So consider this an AU, if you like. Or a headcanon. I just hope my lack of canon compliance doesn't ruin the story for you.


End file.
